Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Wednesday, 17th March 2021
The latest rail news on Wednesday, 17th March 2021
HS2 began work this week on the UK’s longest railway bridge, with an expert team of ground engineers sinking the first of almost 300 piles that will form the foundations for the Colne Valley Viaduct.
The viaduct, which will carry the new high-speed rail line for 3.4km across a series of lakes and waterways on the north west outskirts of London, will be almost a kilometre longer than the Forth Rail Bridge and carry trains travelling at speeds of up to 200mph.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has today hailed a £3million Government investment and master plan to kick-start the UK’s first ever hydrogen hub being created in the region.
The hub, which could be fully operational by 2025, could also create up to 10,000 new jobs across the region and wider North-East over the next 30 years.
It will bring together government, industry and academia to focus research, testing and trials across all modes of transport, supporting a clean energy recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The regeneration of Dudley town centre has been given a triple boost with work starting on the street-running section of the Metro tram line and the announcement of multi-million-pound investment deals for the Portersfield development and a new Institute of Technology.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and Cllr Ian Kettle, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, were on hand to get the Metro works underway and revealed a £6.3million West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) investment package to pay for essential highway infrastructure to serve the Portersfield scheme.
A £2.1million WMCA investment was also announced to support the construction of Dudley College’s Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology.
Finally, earth beside the Chiltern main line in Warwickshire has been secured from landslips to provide more reliable journeys for passengers.
Network Rail engineers stabilised a slope on the south side of Harbury tunnel between Leamington Spa and Banbury as part of a £9million investment.
From start to finish the major earth moving project work took 15 months to carry out.
Photo credit: HS2 Ltd
